M Chemical integrated into Merck Korea

M Chemical's building in North Chungcheong [MERCK KOREA]

M Chemical, a chemical subsidiary of Merck Korea, has been fully integrated into the German life science and electronics company's semiconductor entity.

Starting from Monday, M Chemical is under Versum Materials Korea, a semiconductor affiliate of Merck Korea.

The integration opens up promising "opportunities for more localized manufacturing of thin films materials," Merck Korea said.

The subsidiary was acquired by Merck Korea in early 2023 as the first project in Merck's plan to invest 600 million euros ($647 million) in Korea.

M Chemical brings a complementary product line, including high-k materials, to Merck Electronics’ thin films business, while presenting more opportunities for the company’s localization efforts, Merck Korea said.

"Korea is an important innovation and production hub for Merck, and we have been an innovative and reliable partner in Korea for more than 30 years to help build the electronics industry and support the growing digital trend," Kim Woo-kyu Kim, managing director of Merck Korea.

As of Monday, Merck has a total of 9 subsidiaries in Korea with a total of 1,750 employees.

BY SARAH CHEA [chea.sarah@joongang.co.kr]